Holiday Survival: SWAK Fan Advice

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One week left before it's "officially" the Holiday season! Last week, I shared 5 of my Holiday Survival tips on the blog. They included Listening to Music, Making a Plan, Saying NO, Being Charitable and Getting Sleep. On the blog, I asked you to chime in with your survival tips and tricks; read your friends advice on the blog.

Don't Over Do It

"My tip is keep things as simple as possible. I used to go crazy with decorating, baking and shopping. Now I focus on having a nice tree but the rest of the house is simple: a few winter pillows, some poinsettias and done. I bake my favorite treat, done. Buy a couple of gifts for hubby and teenage daughter, done. Wait for someone else to volunteer to host dinner, done!" - Ena Dumais of Pretty, Plus, and Proud.

"Try to keep things calm and joyful as possible without driving myself crazy. Bake what I can- work together with other family members ahead of time to share the burden of planning and cooking. And of course going shopping for a holiday outfit- because who doesn't want another excuse to shop!" - Amanda Koker of Koker Chronicles

Set Realistic Expectations

"Lowered expectations. Do what you gonna do but don't expect much." - Leslee A. Crate

"Food- no new hands, lol. If you don't normally bring the dish don't start volunteering now. Family holiday dinner isn't the time to experiment. Judgment from family- I've never had this problem unfortunately I can't relate. Gifts- I only do gift exchanges with a select few and we've been doing it for the last 10 years. I say make the rules and expectations known." - Antonetta Bryant owner of House of Toni B

Create Your Own Traditions

"My advice comes from my time in the military when I was away from home for the holidays. If for whatever reason, you are away from home, it is still nice to celebrate the season. For me, I developed my own tradition of ordering Chinese food and watching holiday movies. I also made sure to phone home to family and friends to help keep the loneliness bug away. My advice if you are away from home is to not avoid celebrating, just come up with something fun and unique to do and make it your own special holiday." - April Lundgren

Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help

"if you're going to host a party at your place...ask people to contribute (bring stuff). For the past five years, I've hosted Thanksgiving at my home. My contribution is making my home holiday ready, making the turkey and setting the table with my fancy china and silverware. My father-in-law orders from a local restaurant and bring the "sides" (stuffing, mash potatoes, and gravy). My sister- and brother-in-law bring the vegetable dish and cranberry sauce. My husband buys the pies and rolls in advance from Costco. One year, I even asked a relative to bring a centerpiece for the table. My kids set the table. A bonus tip: I set up separate serving tables with crock pots that stay plugged in and keep the side dishes warm during the meal. Doing Thanksgiving or other holidays this way make it feel more like a potluck and relieves your stress of having to make the entire meal. It also provides instant conversation starters when everyone gets to complement each other on what they brought and lets everyone feel like they contributed to the experience." - Jennifer Gordon

Be Festive, Have Fun!

"If you don't have family I would say I get together with friends. Being alone is never fun during the holidays. As far as food, I agree don't decide to try the new mac and cheese recipe out for Thanksgiving. You try that in your own time. Gifts I say always give from the heart. Pinterest is a great guide to giving affordable gifts even you aren't very creative. Also don't go overboard. For my family, we give to each other all year round so Christmas is just that little extra. All in all just try to enjoy the holidays. Don't let anyone take your holiday spirit. - Tierra Powell of The Curvy Girl Chronicles

"Try to make a calendar for all the activities, decorating and baking. When you are done with each job or event take time to relax for a few minutes, plan some fun things that you can enjoy without having to any work, like visiting Santa with the kids or touring Christmas lights." - Susan Van Hoven

The most wonderful time of the year, can sometimes be the most stressful time of the year. What with end of the year deadlines, holiday parties, family obligations and financial pressures. I hope our Holiday Survival tips and tricks will help you endure the dichotomy of this season. If you take only one thing from this guide I hope it's that you know- you are not alone. Remember, at the end of the day the only thing that matters is love, peace and plus size fashion....;)